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What's the demand for high street planted aquarium shops?

nry

nry

Member
Joined
23 Oct 2007
Messages
1,225
Location
Cumbria, UK
What's the current demand like for high street planted aquarium stores? Lets just say 'Up north' for now, Cumbria to be slightly more precise.

Often wondered on something like this, 11 years of my current job, would much prefer to work for myself, but I am aware of the risk of leaving stable employment and further to mortgages, family life etc! Planted aquaria seem to be constantly on the increase, and if Sky are showing them on TV now they are beginning to hit the mainsream too...

Is this a worthy consideration in the current economic climate?
 
Re: What's the demand for high street planted aquarium shops

TGM are offering franchise opportunities at the moment. It would be a worthy investment in my view, i suppose it depends on local competition and the ability to run a webshop too.
 
Re: What's the demand for high street planted aquarium shops

Local competition on the planted tank side is non-existent. We have a small Maidenhead Aquatics now but their plant selection and associated products is minimal, with only a handful of AquaFleur plants and most of those are the common varieties that people recognise.

My city has nowhere supplying Tropica, you have to drive 20 miles to find their plants, and again the choice is small and little additonal planted tank stuff is available.
 
Re: What's the demand for high street planted aquarium shops

You can either setup a franchise with TGM or go alone and do it all yourself.

I would also contact Tropica and Aquafleur to know what they need in terms of ordering plants, and stocking them.

TGM is great, especially as they are the only ADA stockist in the UK (correct me if I am wrong), and I am sure that they do offer great support, but their kit is expensive and maybe not what your demographics need right now. :)

There is always space for a good plant shop, and nowadays job wise nothing is certain. :)
 
Re: What's the demand for high street planted aquarium shops

TGM are, I believe, sole UK distributor for Tropica anyhow...not sure on AquaFleur but I suspect they aren't involved directly there.
 
Re: What's the demand for high street planted aquarium shops

Think I meant to write 'importer' as opposed to 'distributor' but I could still be wrong ;)
 
Re: What's the demand for high street planted aquarium shops

nry said:
Think I meant to write 'importer' as opposed to 'distributor' but I could still be wrong ;)
Click to expand...
TGM are distributors/importers for the Tropica Aquacare fertilizer program, and not plants.
 
Re: What's the demand for high street planted aquarium shops

Ahh, I see :) All becomes as clear as disturbed substrate ;)
 
Re: What's the demand for high street planted aquarium shops

Basically TGM only distribute a tiny part of Tropicas portfolio, the fertilizer side. I've noticed that my local, Pet City has stopped selling that entirely which has irked me no end as I was planning on using it, the plants are distributed by another agent acting as part of Tropica.

I personally think that there would be a high interest if you got the right location and shop, I live in Hyde Park in Leeds at the moment and every time I go through Headingly I see small shops that would be perfect, they're busy, in an affluent area would be suitable and easily accessible from all forms of transport. They're also in standout locations, across from a busy supermarket, it'd attract the casual user which would build your trade. I don't know if nows the right time, it's something I've thought about for the entering in the next few years very seriously but I just don't know. I know that people want something for nothing and the way prices are creeping up without some larger cheaper manufactorers entering the market or unless you're prepared to search unorthodox avenues I think there's too high an error margin.
 
Re: What's the demand for high street planted aquarium shops

Get substrates sent from China.. They must be cheap.. :) Hell, get the whole aquarium kit sent from China, that will make your shop more accessible.

Keeping plants on a tank is expensive, if you want the best... :)
 
Re: What's the demand for high street planted aquarium shops

I imagine shipping in bulk high enough to be able to sell it cheaply is a much higher quantity than that the average shop could sell. And I'm not so sure China would be the right place, I think the quality wouldn't be so great, a lot of stuff is made to cost and that's not great.
 
Re: What's the demand for high street planted aquarium shops

@ Garuf..

I fully understand that, some stuff "Made in China" is not good quality, but my post was in response to what most people that walk into a highstreet pet shop wants. They would even buy puppies not knowing for sure where they came from at a pet shop, imagine trying to sell a substrate bag that costs £20?

If I had a plant shop I would stock the very cheap, cheap, average and very expensive kit alongside eachother, but would expect to sell much more of the cheap kit.
 
Re: What's the demand for high street planted aquarium shops

+1 Luis
Get a unit on an industrial estate - maximum floor/warehouse space for minimum money. Then stock a range of equipment from cheap to high end(look at the number of people on here using cheap ebay gear, and most would be prepared to pay a opuple of quid more to support a UK retailer). Not that i've thought about this you understand, but i'd work on the fact that for a big enough range of kit and/or livestock (visit Ferrybridge Aquatics in Yorkshire if you want a lesson in lots of livestock in a small space!) people are prepared to travel. And if you know that you can visit Little Mountain Aquascapes in Cumbria (for example - i expect a cut if you use the name :) ) and come away with ALL the gearyou need in one run, people are prepared to travel a bit further (and spend a bit more...)
Interesting thread!!!
Matt
 
Re: What's the demand for high street planted aquarium shops

I would like to setup something in East London on a industrial unit, and work thru ebay, although visits would be welcome.. :)

Cannot be that hard, that after seeing the horrible shops near me always full of people.. :)
 
Re: What's the demand for high street planted aquarium shops

ghostsword said:
Cannot be that hard
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I think people are underestimating the amount of time effort and money that goes into making a fish shop work. Think about all the costs of water and electric. Especially if you are on a water meter. Importing cheapest of the cheap might be fine for hardware but what about livestock? The stuff thats going to sell is your neons and goldfish. You buy in cheap, fish are shipped in really stressful conditions and come to your shop. Theres deformed ones, your one step away from whitespot. Oh poo, you got whitespot in all those fish. Got to quarantine them. Oops, you didn't get them out of the main display quick enough or even better, a mystery illness wipes out most of your livestock. Oh and don't forget the unexplained losses, probably at least 10-20 fish a day when I worked at Porton Garden center. Your main clientele will want the earth for no time, hassle or money. They generally won't care about fish health as "they're just fish" and cheap to replace doesn't help this.

Sorry for the essay, but thought I would enlighten people about a few pitfalls that might bestow any potential shop proprieter.
 
Re: What's the demand for high street planted aquarium shops

Hi Lisa..

I used to work at a pet shop during my school holidays, many many moons ago.. It isn't indeed that hard, same principles apply to what you have at home, but on a bigger scale. Bigger tanks for quarantine and bigger filters.

Obviously taking care of + 300 fish is not the same as taking care of 50, but it is not that hard.

The hard part is changing from "secure" wages, to something that is uncertain.

For example, I set up data centres and call centres for a living, and to many people it sounds hard to keep track of what needs done, especially when they have issues with a their personal computer, but in reality it isn't that hard, when someone likes what they do it become easy.

Same with a Plant/Pet shop. If someone wouldn't mind changing water by the gallons daily, deal with customers, have a good passion for plants and fish, is able to learn as they go along and follows normal animal husbandry keeping quarantines, etc, how hard can it be to setup a pet shop?

A doddle I say... :D
 
Re: What's the demand for high street planted aquarium shops

I agree with Lisa, its hard work and takes a lot of dedication, if you haven't got the right staff to help or you are on your own this can quickly take over your life. If it was that easy then everyone would be doing it and there would be plenty of shops all over the place ;)

Luis I look forward to visiting your store in the near future ;)
 
Re: What's the demand for high street planted aquarium shops

LondonDragon said:
I agree with Lisa, its hard work and takes a lot of dedication, if you haven't got the right staff to help or you are on your own this can quickly take over your life. If it was that easy then everyone would be doing it and there would be plenty of shops all over the place ;)

Luis I look forward to visiting your store in the near future ;)
Click to expand...


Good man! I hope to see you there buying kit.. :)

People do not do it because they are conditioned to the "safe" job mentality, and are usually afraid of starting something for themselves..

With the so many bad shops you have seen in London you are telling me that you would not do a better job than them?
 
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